LiAngelo Ball and two of his fellow UCLA teammates, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley, were arrested on Tuesday in China for reportedly shoplifting from a Louis Vuitton store in Shanghai.
While the immediate concern of many upon learning the news was about how long the legal process might play out in a foreign country (still an unanswered question despite the trio being released on bail), others were fixated on how LaVar Ball would react, which he did on Wednesday by saying, "It ain't that big a deal."
LaVar Ball said, "I'm going to wait until I get more intel on what's going on" before he comments on LiAngelo Ball's arrest but said he's not worried. "He'll be fine," he said. "Everyone's making it a big deal. It ain't that big a deal." pic.twitter.com/E7QuMaMsNU
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) November 8, 2017
Due to the legal nature of the circumstances, Ball scheduled a press conference for Tuesday night before his public appearance but cancelled it, according to ESPN's Arash Markazi, citing the advisement of legal counsel to stay mum. He later released a statement and called the situation "very unfortunate."
"It is a very unfortunate situation that the Ball Family, and UCLA has to deal with at this particular time," said Ball, "We will comment shortly."
Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott also released a statement late Tuesday evening acknowledging the situation and suggesting all inquiries be directed to UCLA, not to the conference.
"We are very disappointed by any situation that detracts from the positive student-athlete educational and cultural experience that this week is about," Scott said. "Whether in the United States or abroad, we expect our student-athletes to uphold the highest standards. We will continue to closely monitor the situation."
